Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1305106
a starting role is one reason why the ex- pectations are so high for Penn State's linebacker group this year. A look at the depth chart might suggest otherwise, as the Lions are replacing all three starters from last season, including a player in Parsons who was being hailed as one of the biggest stars in college football. But with Luketa and Brooks having played in 51 games between them over the past two years, and Rivals.com four-star prospects Brandon Smith, Lance Dixon and Curtis Jacobs all set to see ample playing time, the linebacker corps ap- pears to be a team strength. Brooks cer- tainly thinks so. "We've done a great job recruiting, we've done a great job of maturing guys once they've gotten here," he said. "We had the two guys who came in last year [Smith and Dixon], and they were able to get some snaps, able to grow up. And we have talented guys who came in this year, too. So I feel like it's definitely a posi- tion of strength, and I'm very excited to see where we go from this. If some- body needs a breather, I feel like it's definitely going to be next man up. There's not going to be a drop-off." With the season under way, Luketa is determined to live up to the expectations that have been set by his many elite pred- ecessors at Penn State. "It's the standard," he said. "When we see the rich history of linebackers who have come here and left their mark – from Paul Posluszny to Sean Lee to Na- Vorro, the list goes on and on – the stan- dard is the standard. When I'm watching film and I'm able to pull up those old clips of Mike Hull, [Michael] Mauti and all those guys, seeing how they played, the style of football, the swagger, just how aggressive they played, that's what we want to continue to uphold. So when your number is called, when your oppor- tunity is finally here, that's the level we need to be playing at." ■ >> CATCHING ON Sullivan- Brown played in only four games during an injury- shortened sophomore sea- son, catching eight passes for 56 yards. He's back in action this fall, sporting a new jersey (No. 6) and a more expansive role in the passing game. Photo by Steve Manuel